Improvement in thill-couplings



D. W. GOPELAND Thill-Ooupling.

No. 197,101. Patented Nov. 13,1877

WITNESSE jwd lg INVENTOIZC ATTORN EY k N PETERS, PKOTO-LPJNOGRAPNER WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID COPELAND, OF THERESA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,101, dated November 13, 1877 application filed To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. COPELAND, of Theresa, in the county of J efl'erson and State of New York, haveinvented a new and valuable Improvement in Thill Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operationof the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a top view of my improved thin-coupling, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof.

This invention has relation to improvements,

in thin-couplings; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement, in connection with the clip and its journal-bearlng arms,

' of the cam-bearing between the journals of the shaft-plate and the spring end of the metallic plate,- through which plate the en of the clip are passed, said spring end exten ing upward between the cam-bearing and the clip, all as hereinafter fully shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the clip, and 11 its journal-bearing 1 arms, said arms and clip being made'of one The free end of plate D extends upward between the cam-bearing I), the clip, and arms b, and forms a spring, 8, which, being above the lower portion of the clip and shut in by July 28, 1877.

the parts thereof, is not liable to be broken when the jack is applied in greasing the wheels, or from other causes, against which. said bearin g operates, thus preventing all jarring or rattling of the coupling.

When the thills are lowered, with their free ends resting upon theground or raised in the air, as when the vehicle is housed, the spring 8 is relieved from compression, and isprevented from becoming weakened by being kept under strain when the vehicle is not in use; but when the thills are raised to a horizontal position the cam presses back upon the spring, and tile resilience thereof effectually prevents ratt ing.

By constructing the coupling as above de- -,-scribed, plate D serves a double purpose first, it clamps the clip upon the axle; and, secondly, it forms a spring, which prevents all possibility of rattling. I also do away with the usual rubber or separate metallic springs, which are both expensive and troublesome, being liable to get out of order.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the clip A, having bearing-arms b, the coupling-bolt c, and the plate D, having the spring-arm .9, extending up obliquely between the said arms b, and protected thereby, of the thill-iron 0, having a cam, 1), adapted to compress said spring-arm when the thills are in use, and to release it when they are raised or lowered to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID WEBSTER COPELAND.

Witnesses:

' WILLIAM DREssER,

CHESTER B. Aus'rm. 

